Prospects of a Buckeyes win seemed bleak early as the Spartans jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half. But the momentum shifted back in Ohio State’s favor when Michigan State freshman guard Branden Dawson left the game with an injury. The Buckeyes battled back and eventually took the lead with under 10 minutes to play in the second half.

The lead then changed hands several times before Ohio State set up for its last shot. Buford, who finished with a game-high 25 points, connected on a jumper from just inside the three-point arc to give his team the win in East Lansing. It avenged an Ohio State home loss to the Spartans on Feb. 11.

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo had mixed emotions after the game.

Form MLive.com:

“I can’t express into words how disappointed I am,” Izzo said during the postgame presser, saying he wished he didn’t have to have the press conference. “And I can’t express into words how proud I am of what we’ve accomplished this year so far. And the two just don’t mix.”

Due to tiebreakers, Michigan State still has the one-seed in the Big Ten tournament, which kicks off on Thursday.

We’ve already used SLAM 153 to tell you about the Dream Team at UNC and the top freshmen in the land, but there’s still a lot of great college players we have yet to mention. Here’s a Sweet 16’s worth of talented future pros.

William Buford
6-5, SG, Senior, Ohio State
Even the most skilled players can be overlooked in a program as stacked as Ohio State’s. Senior guard Buford arrived in Columbus the same year as former All-American and current Sixers’ forward Evan Turner. When it appeared the explosive leaper and knockdown shooter was poised to step out of his classmate’s shadow, he unselfishly took a backseat to freshmen phenoms Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft and crafty veterans Jon Diebler and David Lighty. Buford has been nothing but solid in his first three seasons, but he should emerge as a star this season as the Buckeyes’ main perimeter scoring threat.

Tim Hardaway Jr
6-5, PG, Sophomore, Michigan
Taller than his old man but with the same unmistakable crossover, Hardaway Jr is well on his way to becoming the most significant Michigan basketball product since a certain fivesome of the Fab-ulous variety. He possesses a natural ability to break down defenses by getting paint touches at will. Last season, Hardaway’s assist average of 1.7 per contest was lower than a point guard’s should be, but without former Wolverine guard and current Laker Darius Morris, the ball will be in Jr’s hands more this season. Large point guards are clearly trending in the NBA, so Hardaway’s size is a definite plus.

Dario Hunt
6-8, PF, Senior, Nevada
If you’re looking for NBA-level talent in a mid-major program, Reno is a great place to start. Nevada, the school that produced recent pros like Ramon Sessions, Kirk Snyder, Nick Fazekas and JaVale McGee, might do it again. Wolfpack senior forward Dario Hunt emerged from nowhere to average close to a double double (12.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game) as a junior. Even as a sophomore, Hunt recorded 7 boards a night, so the veteran’s energy and hustle were always plus skills. If Hunt’s offensive production can continue in the face of defensive game plans tailored to stop him, Hunt could be a first-round sleeper.

Perry Jones
6-11, PF/C, Sophomore, Baylor
Some kids simply pass the NBA eye test, and that’s good enough to cement their high Lottery status. The 6-11 Jones is one of these individuals, which made his decision to stay in school for another season in spite of a looming five-game NCAA suspension for accepting impermissible benefits even more curious. It’s crazy to think of freshman numbers of 14 points and 7 rebounds as a disappointment, but Jones, who was widely labeled the top pro prospect in his class, failed to meet those lofty expectations. Growth from freshman to sophomore years is always the greatest, though, so expect a monstrous season from the Baylor star.

Terrence Jones
6-8, SF/PF, Sophomore, Kentucky
For the first two months of his freshman campaign, Terrence Jones looked like a Lamar Odom clone: a silky smooth southpaw forward with a deft handle, knack for finding open teammates and an ability to face up and beat defenders off the dribble or with a jumper. He was the Wildcats’ best player. But Jones gradually wore down and lost confidence as the season waned. He kicked off SEC play with 24- and 35-point outbursts versus Georgia and Auburn and wrapped it up with underwhelming consecutive 7-point performances. Expect more consistency from Jones, who will be a senior citizen on another baby-faced Kentucky team.

Kris Joseph
6-7, SF, Senior, Syracuse
There have been a few recent Syracuse players who have used the Dome as a premature launching pad to glory. Kris Joseph could easily have become the next Donte Green or Jonny Flynn, unquestionable talents who made questionable decisions to leave Central New York a year too early. Instead, Joseph has decided to enjoy extra time in orange. The Montreal-born small forward has steadily improved from an offensively limited sparkplug as a freshman to one of the most feared players in the Big East heading into his final season. Joseph’s second gear and athleticism make him one of college hoops’ truly frightening open-court matchups.

Doron Lamb
6-4, SG, Sophomore, Kentucky
Lamb is overshadowed on all fronts. He’s the “other Lamb” (not the one who won a national title last season) and the “other guy” on a Kentucky roster crowded with the flashy players Wildcat fans have come to expect. But Lamb was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of New York by way of Oak Hill Academy, and after a solid freshman season in which he lead the SEC with a blistering 48-percent mark from three-point range, his coach John Calipari labeled him the “best basketball player” on a team that has more than a few good ones. His game may be quieter than your average top-50 recruit, but don’t sleep on this Lamb.

Jeremy Lamb
6-5, SG, Sophomore, Connecticut
Kemba Walker was the best player on the floor for UConn during its title game win over Butler…but not by much. Jeremy Lamb, who capped off his surprising rookie season with a heady 12-point, 7-rebound performance in Houston, was right there with Walker. After a summer spent as the obvious go-to scorer on Team USA’s U-19 World Championship team, it’s clear that Lamb is the fastest rising star in the Big East. His cartoonish 7-1 wingspan and basketball instincts make him a prime candidate for NBA stardom as well.

CJ Leslie
6-9, SF/PF, Sophomore, North Carolina State
CJ Leslie was born to be an NBA player. A landmark recruit for NC State, Leslie possesses incredible length, uncanny versatility and jaw-dropping athleticism. During his freshman season, though, Leslie looked like a pro trying to play college ball. The rising sophomore knew he was easily the struggling Wolfpack’s most talented player and would try to do too much. Leslie’s potential makes him a first-round lock, but if he learns to use his abilities to make his less endowed teammates better, the Draft Lottery is his future.

Trevor Mbakwe
6-8, PF, Senior, Minnesota
Tubby Smith’s workhorse has taken a circuitous route to success (a transfer from Marquette and a felony assault charge that was eventually dropped but robbed him of a year of eligibility), but you have to figure that experience has shaped the player Mbakwe has become. Stats don’t lie, but they never express the full truth either. Mbakwe averaging a double double in a conference as rugged as the Big Ten is noteworthy, but the hustle plays the senior provides are potentially even more valuable to an NBA team. He has Nuggets’ 2011 first rounder Kenneth Faried’s motor with an even more advanced offensive skill set.

Khris Middleton
6-7, SG/SF, Junior, Texas A&M
Middleton has two things NBA evaluators will fall in love with: a beautiful stroke from pretty much every spot on the floor and the size to play his position at the next level. The junior has enough potential to advance way beyond this level, but James Jones—a nails shooter who is a smart, team basketball player—comes to mind as Middleton’s worst-case pro comparison. The Aggie needs to improve his strength if he wants to get to his spots and create his own shot in the pros, but Middleton has shown tremendous growth before, so there’s no reason to think he can’t do it again.

Andrew Nicholson
6-9, PF, Senior, St. Bonaventure
The best pro prospect in the Atlantic 10 is no longer an unknown. What people still don’t realize, though, is how impressive this guy truly is. For Nicholson to spit out averages of 21 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while peering over double teams and battling through triple teams inspired by his lack of surrounding weapons is insane. St. Bonaventure should be proud of its finally rising program, but let’s not kid ourselves. Nicholson has resurrected this program from basement dweller to Tournament hopeful with very little help. That alone should earn Nicholson first-round consideration.

Thomas Robinson
6-9, PF, Junior, Kansas
This is the season we finally learn how good Thomas Robinson can be. Despite losing his mother and both grandparents within an unimaginable three-week span last winter, the DC native was admirably able to execute his role as one of the Jayhawks’ most reliable reserves. With the productive Morris twins off to the Association, Robinson will be counted on for much more than his 8-point sophomore average this season. His post footwork and skills need refinement, but as the only frontcourt holdover from the dominant Kansas teams of the past couple seasons, the explosive forward will be given every opportunity to be a go-to guy this season.

Terrence Ross
6-6, SG, Sophomore, Washington
In a Husky backcourt full of graceful and long-legged guards (Abdul Gaddy, Tony Wroten), sophomore guard Ross has the makings of a top dog. Lorenzo Romar didn’t ask much of Ross during his freshman season, but even in just 17 minutes per contest, it was clear why the kid was so coveted coming out of high school. If you were to use your favorite video game’s create-a-player option to build an NBA shooting guard, you would end up with Terrence Ross: ideal size, effortless leaper, confident jump shot and quickness to be an elite defender. Expect huge progression from Ross in his sophomore season.

Jared Sullinger
6-9, PF, Sophomore, Ohio State
On top of the larger-than- average heap of current college standouts sits a larger-than-average man. Sullinger should be a top-five selection whenever he leaves Ohio State. His footwork, feathery touch in the paint, ability to pass out of frequent double-teams and developing outside game make him an impossible matchup for 99 percent of college big men. He’ll rarely be the better athlete in a head-to-head NBA matchup, though, so he’ll have to learn how to better create scoring opportunities with positioning and craftiness.

Renardo Sidney
6-10, PF/C, Junior, Mississippi State
If the NBA Draft were conducted before the college season, the tantalizing Sidney would be in the thick of the crapshoot known as the second round. NBA teams watch over these players, especially the hyped ones like Sidney, from the time they can grab a 10-foot rim with two hands, so you know GMs are familiar with the Mississippi product’s baggage. Another turbulent season filled with shoddy play and ghastly immaturity might finally put an end to his NBA future. On the other hand, a breakthrough year will have scouts salivating over the size and skill that once made him a can’t-miss prospect.

If one thing is for certain after the top two teams in the Big Ten faced off on Tuesday, it is that Ohio State is far-and-away the best team in the conference. The Buckeyes got little competition from Purdue in an easy 87-64 victory.

Ohio State spread the wealth in the win, as it had six players score in double-figures. Super-freshman Jared Sullinger continued his strong play with a steady 17 points and 7 rebounds, while junior guard William Buford paced the team with 19 points.

While the Buckeyes saw Kansas fall from the ranks of the unbeaten on its home floor, they made sure the same fate did not come their way. With a two-game lead over the rest of the Big Ten, Ohio State will be tough to catch for the rest of the season.

Count Purdue’s head coach as one of the many impressed by the Buckeyes.

From The Columbus Dispatch:

“Any time you have a lot of talent, you don’t get credit for your toughness and commitment to defense,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “Ohio State has a lot of toughness, they have experience, and they’re a very good defensive team. They showed it tonight.”

Tuesday’s win assures us that we will have an unbeaten team longer than last season, when Kentucky held out until January 26. With the dominating fashion that Ohio State won in against Purdue, there is no telling how long it can go without a loss and that unbeaten chatter will begin as we head towards February.

Year after year, people can always count on the Big Ten/ACC Challenge to provide viewers with dramatic, exciting, and quality games. This year is no exception, as one of the best early season match-ups thus far pits Coach Izzo against Coach K on Wednesday night in Durham. As Virginia showed against Minnesota last night, anything can happen in this “tournament” that pits conference pride on the line with every showdown.

Besides the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, there are also a handful of other games that are more than worthy of keeping an eye on for the avid college basketball fan. Here’s your guide of what to watch for from Tuesday through Thursday this week.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Ole Miss Rebels (3-1) @ Miami Hurricanes (4-2) 7 p.m.:This match-up of SEC and the ACC teams will display two teams with quick and dominant guard play in the backcourt. Miami is led by junior Malcolm Grant, who is lightning in a bottle with the basketball but has a tendency to take ill-advised shots all too often (though he is a tough shot maker at times). 6-4 sophomore Durand Scott, who does most of the ball-handling for the Hurricanes, is more than capable of scoring his own points. His ability to create quality looks for his teammates will be crucial against the Ole Miss backcourt. Ole Miss has shown a deep and balanced scoring attack from guards Chris Warren (lighting quick scoring point guard), Nick Williams (powerful scoring guard), Trevor Gaskins (shooter), and Zach Graham (do-it-all guard). Importantly for them, even when Chris Warren struggled (10 points, 5 assists, 6 turnovers against Murray State), the other guards lifted the team to a 77-61 win. The key to this game, though, should be on the interior where the Hurricanes 6-10 Reggie Johnson should be able to take advantage of his massive size and abilities. His 10.5 rebounds per game average are nearly double that of any player on Ole Miss (highest average is 5.5 rpg for any player). The guard play will be crucial, but in the end it might come down to post play in this one.

Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) @ Florida State Seminoles (5-1), Big Ten/ACC Challenge, 7:30 p.m.:Early this summer, I was talking to a high-major division one assistant, and he made the claim that Jared Sullinger has a good chance of winning Big Ten Player of the Year. At first, the claim seemed a little too much for me, but that day I realized that this coach was right. Sullinger has played well so far, netting over 15 points and grabbing over 8 rebounds per game. Sharpshooters Jon Diebler and all-purpose guard David Lighty add the necessary perimeter game for the Buckeyes, and fellow freshmen Deshaun Thomas continues to keep his “man amongst boys” status rolling. If anyone has a say in the Buckeyes dominance in Tallahassee, it will need to come from Florida State’s Mr. Everything: Chris Singleton. Sporting almost a double-double so far this year (9.8 rebounds/game), Singleton has the ability to single handedly keep the Seminoles in this game. The X-factor for the Seminoles might end up being 3-point specialist Michael Snaer. If Snaer can toss in a few triples and break up the Buckeye’s momentum, the Seminoles can stick around for a while. Also, look for William Buford to raise his intensity level a notch this game. Buford has all the tools to take over this game and causes a match-up problem on the court. If Buford plays to his potential the Buckeyes can be scary good this season.

Georgetown Hoyas (6-0) vs. Missouri Tigers (5-0) (Kansas City), 9 p.m.:Big East vs. Big 12. Slow-it-down vs. speed-it-up. Both the Hoyas and the Tigers have gotten off to phenomenal starts this year after narrowly surviving their season opener’s against supposedly unthreatening schools. Through Feast Week it has been smooth sailing, but one of these teams will have to go home with an L. Georgetown plays their trademark disciplined, pick-you-apart offense coupled with stingy half-court man defense, which has held their opponents to just 62 ppg. Chris Wright provides the Hoyas with a dose of creativity at the point guard position, while Austin Freeman has simply been on fire, scoring 20.2 ppg this year. Missouri, on the other hand, looks to speed the tempo up with their vaunted pressure that, just a few seasons ago, almost landed them in the Final Four. Their rotation of ten players with at least 10 mpg so far this year ensures that all five players on the court are always fresh and ready to run at a breakneck tempo. All of the Tigers have played proficiently this year, but junior transfer power forward Ricardo Ratliffe (ironically from DC), junior power Laurence Bowers have been especially consistent on the interior while upperclassmen guards Marcus Denmon and Kim English have provided a scoring punch from the backcourt. The key to this game is likely to come in the turnover department. If Georgetown can win this battle, they have a chance. If not, the Tigers should prove too much to handle.

North Carolina Tar Heels (4-2) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1), Big Ten/ACC Challenge, 9:30 p.m.: A senior-heavy starting Illinois lineup will give the Fighting Illini the much needed experience and toughness that many experts claim they have been lacking since Deron Williams and company left a few years ago. Demetri McCamey, learning from some of last year’s blunders, should bring a new sense of leadership to the table. McCamey has been the lifeblood of the Figting Illini for the past two seasons. When he plays well, they can compete with anyone in the country. Coming to his aid will be super sophomores DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul, plus senior forward Mike Davis. But, unlike a few other freshmen around the nation, Harrison Barnes has yet to have his coming out party. Considered by almost every media outlet to be the top freshmen in the country, Barnes is capable of breaking out at any minute. Throw improving big man John Henson and scoring-machine Reggie Bullock into the mix and you have a dangerous Tar Heel team. One major match-up that fans need to pay attention to lies in the hands of 7-1 Mike Tisdale. If Tisdale can control Tyler Zeller in the paint, the Illini’s battle to protect Assembly Hall just got a lot easier.